DE102019212312A1 - Control device and method for the transmission of data to the vehicle environment - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the invention, a control device (100) is provided for a server for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between at least one vehicle (A, B, C) and a server that is independent of the movement of the at least one vehicle, the control device having: an input interface via the information can be recorded as to whether the control device (100) for the transmission of data to the vehicle environment is to be operated in at least one of the following modes: a) monitoring mode, b) urgency mode and c) efficiency mode, a processing device configured in such a way is that if the respective information is received by the input interface, the following processing can take place in one of the modes: a) in the case of operating the control device in monitoring mode, a control command for continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle environment by the vehicle and for a Data transfer transmission of the monitoring result from which at least one vehicle (A, B, C) is generated to the server, b) if the control device is operated in urgency mode, a control command for the transmission of an increased amount of data to the vehicle environment from the at least one vehicle (A, B, C) is generated to the server in comparison to the monitoring mode, c) in the case of operating the control device in the efficiency mode, a control command for storing data on the vehicle environment in the vehicle and for the selected transmission of data on the vehicle environment between the at least one vehicle (A, B, C ) and the server is generated according to at least two different data transmission standards, and an output interface via which the control command generated in the processing device can be transmitted to the at least one vehicle (A, B, C).

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a control device for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between at least one vehicle and a server and a control method for the transmission of such data.

State of the art

Different sensors are used in vehicles, such as B. cameras, sensors for radar and LIDAR, whereby large amounts of data relating to the vehicle environment are collected. This collected data can be used to e.g. B. for the purpose of navigation and autonomous driving, to update and improve maps and vehicle surroundings data used by other vehicles. In particular, in the case of autonomous driving, there is a requirement that maps with a high degree of accuracy and with the latest information for the vehicle environment are available. The challenge here is that information from other vehicles is used for services relating to the own vehicle.

One known use is the use of vehicle environment data from sensors to update e.g. B. cards or to detect damage to the edge of the road or to detect z. B. Parking spaces. A main problem here is that such a large amount of data is generated from vehicles to servers that collect this data that transmission over existing wireless networks in continuous operation does not make sense for either physical or economic reasons. This can be remedied if the data is stored locally in the vehicle until a local and cost-efficient network with high bandwidth, such as B. W-LAN is available. The disadvantage is that these networks are only available sporadically, e.g. B. when the vehicle is in a location such. B. is parked at home. However, there are often only short time windows available for this, and in many cases it is difficult to predict the reaching of WLAN spots.

In addition, it is also not realistic for all data recorded in the vehicle to be saved, as storage space problems quickly arise. A remedy here could be that only the relevant data, such as B. traffic signs, can be extracted and stored, whereby less storage space is required. The disadvantage is that the processing on board the vehicle means a high computing effort and other types of analysis of the recorded data than that carried out in the vehicle are not possible. A selection must therefore be made as to which data should be retained if the storage space in the vehicle is running out.

The US 2018/0007161 A1 relates to a computer-implemented method for recording data for coupling a processor system of the vehicle to a network. To this end, using the processor system, a route is determined which is expected to be covered by the vehicle. Furthermore, the method determines, using the processor system, a section of the route with a buffer zone, the buffer zone comprising an area in which the strength of the signal transmitted over the network meets a predetermined criterion. Based on a determination that the vehicle is within the buffer zone, the data is prefetched from the data source over the network. The disadvantage is that the route traveled by the vehicle must be known.

Summary of the invention

Technical problem

It is the object of the present invention to provide a control device and a control method for the transmission of data on the vehicle environment between a vehicle and a server, through which data is transmitted to the server in such a way, despite the limited storage space in the vehicle and limited bandwidth during data transmission between the vehicle and the server can be provided that the requirements of navigation and autonomous driving can be taken into account. Different requirements when collecting data from one or more vehicles are to be taken into account in an efficient manner.

the solution of the problem

This object is achieved by the control devices of claims 1 and 5, 6 and the methods of claims 8 and 10. Further developments according to the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a control device is provided for a server for the transmission of data on the vehicle environment between at least one vehicle and a server independent of the movement of the at least one vehicle, the control device having: an input interface via which information about it can be received whether the control device for the transmission of data to the vehicle environment in at least one of the The following modes are to be operated: a) monitoring mode, b) urgency mode and c) efficiency mode, a processing device which is designed in such a way that if the respective information is received by the input interface, the following processing can take place in one of the modes : a) in the case of operating the control device in monitoring mode, a control command for continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle environment by the vehicle and for data transmission of the monitoring results from the at least one vehicle to the server is generated, b) in the case of operating the control device in urgency mode a control command for the transmission of an increased amount of data on the vehicle environment is generated from the at least one vehicle to the server compared to the monitoring mode, c) in the case of operating the control device in efficiency mode, a control command for storing data on the vehicle environment in Vehicle and for the selected transmission of data to the vehicle environment between the at least one vehicle and the server is generated according to at least two different data transmission standards, and an output interface via which the control command generated in the processing device can be transmitted to the at least one vehicle. Such a control device makes it possible to carry out a data transfer to the vehicle surroundings that is appropriate to the data situation and the available data transfer standard. In the case of the monitoring mode, it is possible to monitor the road at a regular interval, for example every 15 minutes, every hour or every two hours, and thus adapt the transmission of the data volume to the use case. In the case of the urgency mode, for example, accidents on the road can be taken into account, in which image details are urgently needed to assess the situation. Due to the urgency, for example, a high data transmission rate can be used to adequately deal with the accident situation regardless of the costs. In the case of efficiency mode, for example in the event of a roadside accident, details are necessary, but a high data rate at any cost is not necessary. That is to say, it is preferred that the data are stored by vehicles, but the data transmission itself can only take place when an inexpensive data transmission standard is available. This means, for example, that all data for a certain area can be transmitted by all vehicles without a time priority. After a predetermined period of time, all data are still available on the server.

However, the present invention is not limited to one mode, but with different types of data, such as image data and location data for lane markings, or with data from different locations from which the images originate, several modes can be used simultaneously in a vehicle, ie in parallel, or a different mode is used for two or more vehicles. The mode or modes can thus be decided depending on the location. The advantage is that through modes adapted to the respective type of data or the respective location of the vehicle or location of the captured data, such as the location of the image, a comprehensive data image is also efficiently available in the server in parallel operation.

According to a second aspect of the invention, which develops the first aspect, a control device is provided, the processing device being designed in such a way that the processing can take place in one of at least two of the modes or one of the three modes. It is preferred that the processing is carried out in a combination mode of at least two or three of the modes. In the case in which the processing device is able to carry out two or all three modes, it is possible, in addition to the normal use case of operation in monitoring mode, to carry out operation in urgency mode and / or in efficiency mode. The control device for the server can thus take into account different usage requirements on the road and an appropriate amount of transmitted data can be implemented.

According to a third aspect of the invention, which develops the first or second aspect, a control device is provided, the increased amount of data being caused by a higher resolution of images of the vehicle surroundings recorded by the vehicle or an increased image rate. Such a higher resolution or increased frame rate makes it possible, for example, in the event of an accident on the road, to better coordinate the reaction to this and to provide appropriate rescue vehicles.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a control device according to one of the preceding claims is provided, wherein data on the vehicle surroundings are transmitted between at least two vehicles and the server, location information on the vehicles can be recorded through the input interface and transmitted to the processing device and the processing device in a is designed in such a way that in the efficiency mode, data on the vehicle surroundings can be stored by several vehicles with similar or identical location information and, if a data connection is available between the vehicle and the server, according to a predetermined data transmission standard The stored data can be transmitted to the vehicle environment through the multiple vehicles in accordance with the predetermined data transmission standard. With such a control device, for example, an accident at the roadside can be documented with precise image data and a transmission can only take place at the point in time at which a data transmission standard with a high bandwidth is available. In this way, the information about the accident at the roadside reaches the server at low cost.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a control device for a vehicle is provided for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between a vehicle and a server that is independent of the movement of the vehicle, the control device having: an input interface via which information about whether the Control device is to be operated in at least one of the following modes: a) monitoring mode, b) urgency mode and c) efficiency mode, a processing device which is designed in such a way that, in the event that the respective information is received by the input interface, the following processing in the one of the modes can take place: a) in the case of operating the control device in the monitoring mode, data for a continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle environment can be generated by the vehicle, b) in the case of operating the control device in the urgency mode, an increased D data volume on the vehicle environment can be generated in comparison to the monitoring mode, c) in the case of operating the control device in efficiency mode, data on the vehicle environment can be stored in the vehicle and data on the vehicle environment can be transmitted between the vehicle and the server in accordance with at least two different data transmission standards, and an output interface via which the data generated in the processing device on the vehicle environment can be transmitted to the server. Such a control device for a vehicle enables data to be transmitted from the vehicle to the server in at least one of the monitoring mode, urgency mode and efficiency mode with the aforementioned advantages for each of the modes.

However, the present invention is not limited to one mode in the vehicle, but with different types of data, such as image data and location data for lane marking, or with data from different locations, from which, for example, the images originate, several modes can be used simultaneously in one vehicle, ie parallel, or with the two or more vehicles a different mode can be used. The mode or modes can thus be decided depending on the location. The advantage is that through modes adapted to the respective type of data and the respective location of the vehicle or location of the recorded data, such as the location of the image, a comprehensive data image is efficiently available in the vehicle even in parallel operation.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, a control device is provided for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between at least two vehicles and a server that is independent of the movement of at least one of the vehicles, the control device having: an input interface for receiving location information from at least two vehicles With reference to a predetermined road segment, a processing device via which at least two road sections can be assigned to the predetermined road segment, one of the at least two vehicles can be assigned to each of the two road sections and via which a control command can be assigned to each of the vehicles, at which point in time data from the respective vehicle are to be transmitted to the vehicle environment from the respective vehicle in the assigned of the at least two road sections to the server, and an output interface via which the control commands generated in the processing device to the at least two vehicles are transferable. By recording location information, the control device contains information on the relative arrangement between the road section and the vehicle. In this way, it is possible to obtain representative data for the vehicle environment in relation to the road section. If, for example, several vehicles drive through the road segment, the amount of data for the data on the vehicle surroundings can be reduced by only one of the vehicles transmitting the data in each of the road sections.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, which develops the sixth aspect, a control device is provided, the processing device being designed in such a way that data on the vehicle surroundings can be stored in a predetermined one of the road sections by at least one of the vehicles and when a data connection is available between the vehicle and the server in accordance with a predetermined data transmission standard, the stored data can be transmitted to the vehicle surroundings by the at least one vehicle in accordance with the predetermined data transmission standard. The present invention is therefore not tied to the vehicle carrying out the data transmission when it is in the road section. One application is, for example, that after a vehicle has recorded data on the vehicle's surroundings in a road section, a point in time at which the vehicle is in the area of a WiFi hotspots are located. Only at this point in time is the information relating to the road section transmitted to the control device for the server.

According to an eighth aspect of the invention, a control method is provided for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between at least one vehicle and a server that is independent of the movement of the at least one vehicle, with the following steps: Recording information about whether one of the following modes should be executed: a) Monitoring mode, b) Urgency mode and c) Efficiency mode, if the respective information is recorded, generating the control command in one of the modes: a) When operating in monitoring mode, generating a control command for continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle's surroundings and for a data transmission of the monitoring result from the at least one vehicle to the server, b) in the case of operation in urgency mode, generating a control command for the transmission of an increased amount of data to the vehicle environment from the at least one vehicle to the server compared to m monitoring mode, c) in the case of operation in efficiency mode, generating a control command for storing data on the vehicle environment in the vehicle and for the selected transmission of data on the vehicle environment between the at least one vehicle and the server in accordance with at least two different data transmission standards, and transmitting the generated control command the at least one vehicle._Due to such a control method, it is possible to provide the server with data corresponding to the monitoring mode, urgency mode and / or efficiency mode described above.

According to a ninth aspect of the invention, which develops the eighth aspect, a control method is provided in which data on the vehicle surroundings can be transmitted between at least two vehicles and the server, with location information on the vehicles being able to be recorded and transmitted in the step of recording information, In efficiency mode, data on the vehicle environment can be stored by several vehicles with similar or identical location information and, if a data connection is available between the vehicle and server according to a predetermined data transmission standard, the stored data can be transmitted to the vehicle surroundings by the several vehicles according to the predetermined data transmission standard. With such a control method, comprehensive data on the vehicle environment can only be transmitted at the point in time when the vehicle is in the vicinity of a WLAN hotspot.

According to a tenth aspect of the invention, a control method for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings is provided between at least two vehicles and a server that is independent of the movement of at least one of the vehicles, comprising the steps of: recording location information from at least two vehicles in relation to a predetermined road segment , Assignment of at least two road sections to the predetermined road segment, Assignment of one of the at least two vehicles to each of the two road sections, Assignment of a respective control command to each of the vehicles, the respective control command indicating the point in time at which data on the vehicle surroundings are provided by the respective vehicle are to be transmitted from the respective vehicle in the assigned of the at least two road sections to the server, and transmitting the generated control commands to the at least two vehicles. Such a method can reduce the amount of data that has to be transmitted from the vehicle to the server, and the storage space that is required in the vehicle can also be reduced.

Figure list

• 1 zeigt einen beispielhaften Ablauf für die Übertragung von Daten zum Fahrzeugumfeld zwischen einem Fahrzeug und einem Server.
• 2 zeigt die Kommunikation zwischen einer Steuervorrichtung für einen Server und Steuervorrichtungen im Fahrzeug entsprechend einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel.
• 3A zeigt die Struktur einer Steuervorrichtung für einen Server und 3B zeigt die Struktur für eine Steuervorrichtung für ein Fahrzeug.
• 4 zeigt ein Fließbild für das Steuerverfahren entsprechend dem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel.
• 5 zeigt die Kommunikation für eine Steuervorrichtung für einen Server und Steuervorrichtungen im Fahrzeug entsprechend dem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel.
• 6 zeigt ein Fließbild für das Steuerverfahren entsprechend dem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel.

With reference to the accompanying drawings and the corresponding detailed description, the present invention will be described in greater detail in connection with other objects, features and advantages.

• 1 shows an exemplary sequence for the transmission of data on the vehicle environment between a vehicle and a server.
• 2 shows the communication between a control device for a server and control devices in the vehicle according to a first embodiment.
• 3A shows the structure of a control device for a server and FIG 3B Fig. 13 shows the structure for a control device for a vehicle.
• 4th Fig. 13 shows a flow chart for the control process according to the first embodiment.
• 5 Fig. 13 shows the communication for a control device for a server and control devices in the vehicle according to the second embodiment.
• 6th Fig. 13 shows a flow chart for the control method according to the second embodiment.

Description of the exemplary embodiments

Control devices and control methods for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between at least one vehicle and a server are described in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments.

To illustrate the use of the present invention by way of example, with 1 reference is made to a typical procedure for updating data in a server for use in navigation and in the autonomous driving of vehicles.

In step S1, data on the vehicle surroundings are recorded by the vehicle and stored in it. After the data has been recorded and / or stored, the data on the vehicle surroundings in the vehicle are processed in step S2 in order, for example, to selectively extract information from this data. An example is the extraction of information about the speed limit on traffic signs in image data. In step S3, the recorded and / or stored and / or processed data are transmitted wirelessly from the vehicle to a server.

The new data is stored in the server in step S4. In step S5, a comparison is made between the newly transmitted data from the vehicle and older data already stored in the server. Such a comparison can include, for example, that the speed limit has changed in a road segment. On the basis of this identification of the change, a selective or complete update of the older data with the new data transmitted from the vehicle takes place in step S6.

Assuming that vehicles in a road segment constantly transmit all recorded data to the server, the server always has a complete, up-to-date image of the road segment. The server can then transmit this data to other vehicles with a high degree of security with regard to navigation or autonomous driving. The result is a high level of road safety.

Due to limited storage capacities and limited transmission bandwidths for communication between vehicle and server, this comprehensive data image in the server with data from all vehicles cannot be maintained permanently. It is assumed that vehicles continuously store data from the multitude of sensors and also obtain information derived or extracted from this stored data, such as for example the environment model and the traffic signs already mentioned.

This can lead to the scenario that vehicles will have to transmit 50 to 500 Mbits / s to the server and save them locally in the future. With currently available storage solutions, this is economically difficult to implement over long periods of time. Especially for the constant transmission of image data with a large number of neighboring vehicles, there is not always sufficient transmission bandwidth available even in cellular networks with modern standards, such as 5G.

However, this situation looks different with smaller amounts of data. For example, information on the route covered and metadata relating to sensors, such as pure location information on a vehicle, can be transmitted from the vehicle to the server with a low bandwidth. Such a data connection can also be implemented in the long term with reasonable data security. For the transmission of image data, in particular, it is advantageous if data connections with a high bandwidth, such as the connection between a vehicle and a WLAN hotspot, are available. The disadvantage is that the WiFi hotspots are only available at selected locations and therefore only a sporadic data connection via WiFi is possible between the vehicle and the server. As a result, data must be stored in the vehicle and, if there is insufficient storage space, data must also be deleted. However, this time offset and the data deletion must not impair the functionality of navigation and autonomous driving, which is ensured via the server. This is a challenge that the invention faces.

In contrast to the solution in the prior art, in which the future route of vehicles was already known, it is preferred in the present invention that the currently available data and the stored data are used. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, stored data and current data are used by a variety of vehicles.

If you start from this starting point, the following can be taken into account on the server side; In many cases, the server already has maps or geographical data on roads available and already has some input data. For example, the server can access data that has arisen through communication with vehicles in the past. It is also possible for the server to map geographic areas, which are shown below as an example, if map data is available referred to as road sections.

In many cases, the server continuously receives metadata from vehicles, such as data relating to the road being driven on and information about new data from sensors or data that has been deleted. The server thus has knowledge of available data in the vehicle and knows the requirements with regard to, for example, continuous updating of data.

First embodiment

With reference to the 2 , 3A , 3B and 4th Control devices and a control method according to the first embodiment of the invention are described.

In 2 there is shown a system comprising a control device for servers and control devices for vehicles. More precisely, are vehicles A. , B. and C. shown at different positions along a road segment. These vehicles A. , B. and C. need not be different vehicles, but can also be the same vehicle at different times.

The interaction between vehicle and server is exemplified using the vehicle as an example A. shown. The vehicle A. has a control device 10a and a large number of sensors, which are shown by way of example with the camera symbol for image recording. This control device 10a is capable of having a control device 100 preferred for a server to communicate wirelessly. This communication can take place, for example, via a cellular network, for example in accordance with the 4G or 5G standard.

With the vehicle C. is in 2 a dashed communication line between the control devices 10c for the vehicle and the control device 100 played for the server. The dashed lines indicate that in contrast to the transmission of data between control devices 10a and control device 100 between the control device 10c and the control device 100 only metadata, such as location information, are transmitted to the vehicle. The control device 10c is connected to a transmitter through which the control device 10c wireless communication via a WLAN network with a WLAN hotspot 102 can produce. This WiFi hotspot 102 is also with the control device 100 connected for the server. Via the WLAN communication between control devices 10c and the WiFi hotspot 102 it is possible to transfer higher amounts of data such as moving image data or data with a higher frame rate between the vehicle C. and the control device 100 swap for server.

With the vehicle B. the camera symbol is shown larger as an example for the sensor. This should give an indication of increased frame rates and a higher amount of data. More precisely, it is with the vehicle B. the situation is shown in which a vehicle, for example at a scene of an accident on the road, has to immediately transmit a large amount of image information to the server. In this case, there is an exceptional situation in which the use of a high bandwidth for the cellular connection between the control device 10b and the control device 100 is necessary for server.

With the in 2 The following circumstances are taken into account: A vehicle can transmit data according to priorities and costs, i.e. bandwidth and energy costs, or delete data in the vehicle. High priority data is sent first when transmitting to the controller 100 for the server is possible. Here, requirements for the bandwidth and the amount of data can be defined, such as until when a cellular network can be used for such data transmission. Urgent data, for example in the event of an accident on the road, are transmitted immediately without having to take into account bandwidth restrictions. In contrast, data with lower priority and with the requirement of low cost, i.e. the use of a less costly communication standard, can be sent later when a cost reduction is possible, such as when a WLAN hotspot is expected to become one later is within range of the vehicle's wireless network. In this case, it is preferred that the data are not deleted until they are sent via such a communication standard.

In the first embodiment it is preferred if from the control device 100 for servers continuously or regularly information is sent to the vehicles, which data has a high priority, which data is to be sent optimized according to priority and cost and which data is to be sent urgently. For this purpose the control device 100 for servers in 3A is shown schematically, with an input interface 110 , an output interface 130 and a processing device arranged between them 120 Mistake. This processing facility 120 instructs a controller 122 for monitoring mode, a controller 124 for the emergency mode and one control 126 for efficiency mode.

In 3B is a control device 10a, b, c shown as an example for vehicles. This has an input interface 20th , a processing facility 40 and an output interface 30th on. The input interface receives signals from sensors, such as sensors in the vehicle, such as a camera, and from distance measuring devices. Data source for the input interface 20th are, for example, driver assistance systems. In addition, the processing facility 40 supplied with the control signal from the server via the input interface.

The processing facility 40 instructs a controller 42 on, which in particular performs a control in the vehicle for the monitoring mode, the urgency mode and the efficiency mode in accordance with the control signal from the server. In addition, there is a data processing device 44 provided, the sensor data and data from data sources processed in such a way that derived data can be formed. One example is the recognition of traffic signs, such as speed limits, on the roadside. It is also in the processing facility 40 an intelligent data cache 46 provided, which provides prioritization for the storage and deletion of data according to the control signal from the server and executes a corresponding memory management. By the processing facility 40 generated data are transmitted via the output interface 30th to the control device 100 broadcast for server.

In 4th is a flow chart of the control method according to the first embodiment. Here is the representation of vehicle A. in 2 the monitoring mode assigned to the vehicle B. in 2 the urgency mode and the vehicle C. in 2 the efficiency mode.

The control 122 in 3A for the monitoring mode represents the basic case for the communication between the control device 100 for servers and the control device for vehicle such as the control device 10a The road is monitored at regular intervals or continuously, for example every 5 minutes or every 15 minutes or every hour. The expense for the transmission that arises as a result takes into account the communication standard used between the control device 10a and control device 100 for server. With the monitoring mode, the control device 100 regular information about the vehicle's surroundings for servers A. .

In urgency mode, which is in 2 exemplary for the vehicle B. is shown, there is an urgent need for the immediate transmission of data, such as in an accident on the road. In particular, details are of interest here, so that a large amount of data is desired. In such a case, the control device 100 For servers, a control command is sent to one or more vehicles that a high data density is to be generated immediately for the vehicle environment. In particular with such a control command to a large number of vehicles, a specific area with an accident can be comprehensively analyzed by the server.

In efficiency mode, which is for vehicle C. in 2 is shown, all data are also necessary, but with less urgency. In this case it is helpful to wait until there is a high bandwidth for communication between vehicles C. and control device 100 is available for servers. This is the case for the aforementioned connection to the WLAN hotspot 102 that with the control device 100 for server communicating. One use case is an accident next to the road that is not a current traffic obstruction. In the case of such an efficiency mode, the server can use its control device 100 transmit a control command for the provision of evidence with lower priority. In other words, all data for a specific area should be made available in a non-urgent time frame. Although the data can be transmitted at a later point in time, care must be taken not to delete them.

In the control sequence of 4th for the control method according to the first exemplary embodiment are in step S10 via the input interface 110 Information on the modes by the control device 100 added for server. The respective modes are determined in step S20. In the case of the monitoring mode, step S20 goes to step S30, a control command for the monitoring mode is generated and output in step S40. In step S50, if the urgency mode is present, a control command is generated for it, and this control command is output in step S60. In the case in which information on the efficiency mode has been recorded, the control command for the efficiency mode is generated in step S70 and output in step S80.

As a result, there are possibilities for the first exemplary embodiment that the necessary data can be transmitted via the control device 100 for the server are available to the server. Here, the normal case (monitoring mode), the case of an immediate high data need in the urgency mode and in the efficiency mode the availability of all data with a lower time priority are taken into account.

In principle, the first exemplary embodiment has a reverse content delivery network. More precisely, a content delivery network (CDN) is a geographically distributed network of proxy servers and their data centers, with which high availability and high performance, especially for the transmission of static content on the Internet, is possible. In the case of the reverse content delivery network according to the invention, the interim storage of data in the vehicles and transmission to the server upon request also reduce the network load.

This means that similar data can only be uploaded once, which is ensured in particular in monitoring mode by the time interval for data recording. There can be a load distribution between the vehicles, since only relevant vehicles deliver data according to the requirements. In addition, with the transmission in efficiency mode, a later, cost-efficient transmission process of data between the vehicle and the server is possible.

Second embodiment

In the 5 and 6th a system of control devices and a flowchart for the control process according to the second embodiment are shown.

With the system in 5 corresponding to the second embodiment are a control device 200 for servers and vehicles A. , B. and C. in respective street segments 2A , 2 B and 2C shown. The control device 200 for servers, the in 3A structure shown. The control 122 , 124 and 126 need not be provided, however. The control devices 210a, b, c correspond to the in 3B shown, the controller 42 for the monitoring mode, the urgency mode of the efficiency mode can, but need not be set up. The difference between the system in 2 corresponding to the first embodiment and in 5 according to the second embodiment is that by the control device 200 for servers a street segment into a multitude of street sections 2A , 2 B and 2C was divided.

The aim in the system and the control devices according to the second embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, is to flexibly and efficiently support data collection from a large number of vehicles. Optimization can take place in different dimensions. With an optimization with respect to the time of the data transfer, there is flexibility with respect to when the data is transferred. This is for example with the vehicle C. and the movement of these out of the street section 2C shown out to vehicle C '. The vehicle C 'can use WLAN with the WLAN hotspot 202 communicate. For the purpose of reducing effort, in the second exemplary embodiment, a vehicle is not driven through the road sections 2A , 2 B and 2C the entire amount of data to the control device from each vehicle each time 200 sent for server, but by the control device 200 for server it ensures that each of the segments 2A , 2 B and 2C only one vehicle A. , B. , C. and only this collects data on the vehicle environment. In the case of vehicle C. The data transmission can then even take place more cost-effectively, since the mobile radio standard is not the communication standard for communication between control devices 210c and control device 200 is used for the server, but the WLAN hotspot 202 . In this way costs can be reduced.

The basic idea of the system according to the second exemplary embodiment can also be combined with aspects of the first exemplary embodiment to the extent that, for example, in road sections, such as in the road section 2 B of increased interest, not just a data acquisition by the vehicle B. but also by the vehicle A. is instructed. In this way there can be an increased need for information in the control device 200 for servers in the segment 2 B To be taken into account.

A system according to the second embodiment can also be modified in such a way that if, for example, 10 vehicles are traveling on a road of 10 kilometers at a certain point in time, half of the vehicles will store the first 5 kilometers and the other half will store the remaining 5 kilometers . If the likelihood of later data transfer, such as via a WiFi hotspot 202 , is high, or a lack of storage space for storage in the vehicles is to be expected, a command can be issued to each of the vehicles that only one of these 10 kilometers is to be stored.

A control method according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG 6th shown. In step S200, location information of the vehicles in relation to the road segment is recorded. In step S210, road sections are assigned to a road segment and then in step S220 a vehicle is assigned to each of the road sections of the road segment. Subsequently, in step S230, a control profile is assigned to the respective vehicle for the point in time of the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings from the vehicle to the server. In step S240, the control commands are transmitted to the vehicles. In this way it can be ensured that each of the road sections 2A , 2 B and 2C in 5 Vehicles are assigned and a data transmission to the control device 200 for servers.

Third embodiment

The present invention is not restricted to the first and second exemplary embodiments and a combination of these, but can also be embodied in a third exemplary embodiment, which can optionally be coupled with one or both of the first and second exemplary embodiments.

As with the first and second exemplary embodiments, the aim of the server, which can be configured as a cloud service, for example, is to have accurate and complete data on the vehicle surroundings so that maps can be improved and surrounding situations can be better recorded, for example free parking spaces, and it is also possible to react to changed vehicle environment data, such as a changed number of people on the street.

During basic data communication between the vehicle and the server, the server has knowledge of which vehicles are receiving data and which data can be expected to be transmitted at a later point in time with some probability. For example, it is possible for the server control device, in the case where a lack of storage space in the vehicle is expected, to generate control commands to the vehicles to delete data in such a manner as for the control device 100 it can be expected for servers that complete data will be available at a later point in time. Another possibility is that if there is an expected lack of storage space, the data with the lowest priority are deleted first. In addition, if it is not necessary for the operation of the vehicle, data that has already been transferred can be deleted.

In the third exemplary embodiment, the idea is that vehicles are instructed via control commands, which are preferably transmitted over a channel with a low bandwidth, for which recorded data priority can be assigned and which data can be deleted if there is a lack of storage space or a lack of storage space is to be expected. In this way, the most relevant data is to be retained and in this way it is possible to transfer it at a later point in time, for example via WLAN. In addition, more relevant data can also be transmitted with priority or by means of other devices, such as other vehicles, mobile devices or units on the road.

In the control method according to the third embodiment, either the server control device can fully or at least partially decide which data in the vehicle have priority and which are to be deleted.

1. 1. Fahrzeuge senden bevorzugt kontinuierlich Ortsinformationen zu der Steuervorrichtung für Server und die Fahrzeuge nehmen lokal eine Datenaufzeichnung vor.
2. 2. Wenn ein Speicherplatzmangel bevorsteht oder in naher Zukunft zu erwarten ist, erhält das Fahrzeug Weisungen von dem Server, welche der Daten höhere Priorität und welche geringere haben und welche als erstes zu löschen sind. Alternativ dazu können im zweiten Schritt im Vorfeld lediglich Prioritätsdaten von dem Server zum Fahrzeug übermittelt sein und das Fahrzeug entscheidet dann im konkreten Moment, in dem ein Speicherplatzmangel besteht oder zu erwarten ist darüber, welche Daten zu löschen sind oder welche Daten auf welche Weise anders zu übertragen sind, wie zum Beispiel zu anderen Fahrzeugen oder Einheiten am Straßenrand.
3. 3. Wenn ein Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetzwerk verfügbar ist, werden einige der Daten vom Fahrzeug entsprechend der Priorität, die vorgegeben wurde, übermittelt. In ähnlicher Weise kann eine Übertragung zu anderen Vorrichtungen erfolgen, von denen dann eine Weiterleitung zum Server zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt erfolgt, wie zum Beispiel über andere Fahrzeuge, Mobilvorrichtungen oder Einheiten am Straßenrand.

The following control procedure can be used:

1. 1. Vehicles preferably continuously send location information to the server control device and the vehicles record data locally.
2. 2. If a lack of storage space is imminent or is to be expected in the near future, the vehicle receives instructions from the server as to which of the data have higher priority and which have lower priority and which are to be deleted first. Alternatively, in the second step, priority data can only be transmitted from the server to the vehicle in advance and the vehicle then decides at the specific moment in which there is a lack of storage space or is to be expected about which data is to be deleted or which data is to be different in which way such as to other vehicles or roadside units.
3. 3. If a high-speed network is available, some of the data will be transmitted from the vehicle according to the priority that has been set. In a similar way, a transmission to other devices can take place, from which a forwarding to the server takes place at a later point in time, for example via other vehicles, mobile devices or units at the roadside.

With a control device and a control method according to the third embodiment, it is possible to reduce unnecessary storage and transmission and, moreover, the probability that relevant data is present in the server is increased. In addition, the load distribution between the vehicles can be improved and the likelihood that as much data as possible will be transmitted can be increased. The control device or the control method according to the third embodiment are thus more flexible since the route of the vehicle does not have to be known in advance. In addition, the data is only deleted when necessary, so that a maximum amount of data is available.

When assessing the priority and generating the control command for the vehicles, the server can also use data from other vehicles use, for example the probability that another vehicle will enter an area on a road segment and other criteria, such as the requirement that specific data can be supplied, can be taken into account immediately. As a result of the control via the server, which can be available as a cloud service, for example, different strategies can be used that specific data are available for a specific group of vehicles, so that the probability can be increased that at least one of these vehicles Data can be transferred quickly and / or completely.

With the control devices and control methods of the first to third exemplary embodiments, it is thus possible to efficiently transmit data, in particular image data from a specific location, to identify changes in map data present in a server, such as damage to the road or construction sites, and to update of the cards. These updated maps can then be made available to vehicles, including those who contributed to the update of the data.

List of reference symbols

A, B, C

vehicle

2A, 2B, 2C

Street section

10a, b, c

Control device

20th

Input interface

30th

Output interface

40

Processing facility

42

control

44

Data processing

46

Data cache

100, 200

Control device for servers

102, 202

WiFi hotspot

110

Input interface

120

Processing facility

122

Control for monitoring mode

124

Control for the emergency mode

126

Control for efficiency mode

130

Output interface

210a, b, c

Control device

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent literature cited

• US 2018/0007161 A1 [0005]

Claims (10)

Control device (100) for a server for the transmission of data on the vehicle environment between at least one vehicle (A, B, C) and a server that is independent of the movement of the at least one vehicle, the control device (100) having: an input interface (110) via which information can be recorded as to whether the control device (100) for the transmission of data to the vehicle environment is to be operated in at least one of the following modes: a) monitoring mode, b) Urgency mode and c) efficiency mode, a processing device (120) which is designed in such a way that, if the respective information is received by the input interface (110), the following processing can take place in one of the modes: a) in the case of operating the control device in monitoring mode, a control command is generated for continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle environment by the vehicle and for data transmission of the monitoring results from the at least one vehicle (A, B, C) to the server, b) in the case of operating the control device in urgency mode, a control command for the transmission of an increased amount of data to the vehicle surroundings is generated from the at least one vehicle (A, B, C) to the server compared to the monitoring mode, c) in the case of operating the control device in efficiency mode, a control command for storing data on the vehicle environment in the vehicle and for the selected transmission of data on the vehicle environment between the at least one vehicle (A, B, C) and the server is generated in accordance with at least two different data transmission standards , and an output interface (130) via which the control command generated in the processing device can be transmitted to the at least one vehicle (A, B, C). Control device (100) Claim 1 wherein the processing device (120) is designed in such a way that the processing can take place in one of at least two of the modes or in one of the three modes. Control device (100) Claim 1 or 2 The increased amount of data is due to a higher resolution of images of the vehicle surroundings recorded by the vehicle (A, B, C) or an increased image rate. Control device (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein data on the vehicle surroundings are transmitted between at least two vehicles (A, B, C) and the server, location information on the vehicles can be recorded by the input interface (110) and transmitted to the processing device (120) and the processing device (120) is designed in such a way that, in the efficiency mode, data on the vehicle environment can be stored by several vehicles (A, B, C) with similar or identical location information and, if a data connection is available between the vehicle and the server, according to a predetermined data transmission standard The stored data can be transmitted to the vehicle surroundings by the multiple vehicles (A, B, C) in accordance with the predetermined data transmission standard. Control device (10a, b, c) for a vehicle for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between a vehicle (A, B, C) and a server that is independent of the movement of the vehicle, the control device (10a, b, c) having: an input interface (20) via which information can be recorded as to whether the control device (10a, b, c) is to be operated in at least one of the following modes: a) monitoring mode, b) Urgency mode and c) efficiency mode, a processing device (40) which is designed in such a way that if the respective information is received by the input interface (20), the following processing can take place in one of the modes: a) in the case of operating the control device in the monitoring mode, data can be generated by the vehicle for continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle surroundings, b) in the case of operating the control device in urgency mode, an increased amount of data on the vehicle surroundings can be generated compared to the monitoring mode, c) in the case of operating the control device in efficiency mode, data on the vehicle environment can be stored in the vehicle and data on the vehicle environment can be transmitted between the vehicle and the server in accordance with at least two different data transmission standards, and an output interface (30) via which the data generated in the processing device (40) on the vehicle surroundings can be transmitted to the server. Control device (200) for the transmission of data on the vehicle surroundings between at least two vehicles (A, B, C) and a server that is independent of the movement of at least one of the vehicles, the control device (200) having: an input interface for receiving location information from at least two vehicles (A, B, C) in relation to a predetermined road segment, a processing device via which at least two road sections (2A, 2B, 2C) can be assigned to the predetermined road segment, each of the two roads outer sections (2A, 2B, 2C) one of the at least two vehicles (A, B, C) can be assigned and via which a control command can be assigned to each of the vehicles (A, B, C), at which point in time by the respective vehicle (A, B, C) data on the vehicle surroundings are to be transmitted from the respective vehicle in the assigned of the at least two road sections (2A, 2B, 2C) to the server, and an output interface via which the control commands generated in the processing device are sent to the at least two vehicles (A , B, C) are transferable. Control device (200) Claim 6 , wherein the processing device is designed in such a way that data on the vehicle surroundings can be stored in a predetermined one of the road sections (2C) by at least one of the vehicles (C) and when a data connection between the vehicle (C) and the server is available in accordance with a predetermined data transmission standard the transmission of the stored data to the vehicle environment can take place through the at least one vehicle (C) in accordance with the predetermined data transmission standard. Control method for the transmission of data on the vehicle environment between at least one vehicle and a server that is independent of the movement of the at least one vehicle with the following steps: Recording (S10) information about whether one of the following modes should be executed: a) monitoring mode, b) Urgency mode and c) efficiency mode, In the case of recording the respective information, generating the control command in one of the modes: a) in the case of operation in monitoring mode, generating (S30) a control command for continuous or regular monitoring of the vehicle environment by the vehicle and for data transmission of the monitoring result from the at least one vehicle to the server, b) in the case of operation in the urgency mode, generating (S50) a control command for the transmission of an increased amount of data to the vehicle surroundings from the at least one vehicle to the server compared to the monitoring mode, c) in the case of operation in efficiency mode, generating (S70) a control command for storing data on the vehicle environment in the vehicle and for the selected transmission of data on the vehicle environment between the at least one vehicle and the server in accordance with at least two different data transmission standards, and Transmitting (S40; S60; S80) the generated control command to the at least one vehicle. Tax procedure according to Claim 8 , in which data on the vehicle environment can be transmitted between at least two vehicles (A, B, C) and the server, with location information about the vehicles being recordable and transferable in the step of recording information (S10), data on the vehicle environment through in efficiency mode Several vehicles can be stored with similar or identical location information and, if a data connection is available between the vehicle and the server according to a predetermined data transmission standard, the stored data can be transmitted to the vehicle environment by the several vehicles according to the predetermined data transmission standard. Control method for the transmission of data on the vehicle environment between at least two vehicles and a server that is independent of the movement of at least one of the vehicles with the following steps: Recording (S200) location information from at least two vehicles in relation to a predetermined road segment, Assigning (S210) at least two road sections (2A, 2B, 2C) to the predetermined road segment, Assigning (S220) one of the at least two vehicles to each of the two road sections (2A, 2B, 2C), Assigning (S230) a respective control command to each of the vehicles, the respective control command specifying the point in time at which the respective vehicle assigns data to the vehicle surroundings from the respective vehicle in the assigned of the at least two road sections (2A, 2B, 2C) to the server are transferred, and Transferring (S240) the generated control commands to the at least two vehicles.

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